jdreyer wrote on Feb 5, 2013, 14:18:I imagine a day where wifi is a municipal service like roads or water. Probably too early for that yet though.

No thanks. Are we considering the unintended consequences? How could this power be abused (ie. war on terror or the war on mp3 downloaders)? How could this government service fall into complacency and technological development be adversely impacted? Do you realize that government services are very often delivered at much higher costs than what the private sector does? Delivering Internet based on the political process is repugnant to me.

I for one don't want the authorities to take over Internet service in my area. I also don't want the duopoly to continue.

Wow. Okay.

1. Just because you have municipal water doesn't preclude you from buying bottled water if you want it. The same with internet.

2. If you don't want a duopoly, or monopoly then muni wifi provides another competitor to boost competition and lower prices. How is that bad? Right now you have only one cable provider and maybe a DSL provider. And they're raking you over the coals.

3. Interestingly, the government provides lots of things cheaper than the private sector: postal delivery (and they'll go where FedEx and UPS won't), defense (soldiers make a quarter the salary that Blackwater mercenaries do), healthcare (medicare is cheaper and more efficient than private insurance). I could go on and on. Do your homework before making blanket statements to avoid sounding like a wingnut.

4. When you say "take over the internet service in my area" you sound like a wingnut. Don't be a wingnut. Because we have for decades had both the USPS and UPS. Both medicare and private insurance. Both public and private transportation.

jdreyer wrote on Feb 5, 2013, 14:18:I imagine a day where wifi is a municipal service like roads or water. Probably too early for that yet though.

No thanks. Are we considering the unintended consequences? How could this power be abused (ie. war on terror or the war on mp3 downloaders)? How could this government service fall into complacency and technological development be adversely impacted? Do you realize that government services are very often delivered at much higher costs than what the private sector does? Delivering Internet based on the political process is repugnant to me.

I for one don't want the authorities to take over Internet service in my area. I also don't want the duopoly to continue.

jamiedj99 wrote on Feb 5, 2013, 15:26:in canada my isp is setting up free wi-fi for its subsribers all over the province of bc its a nice extra feature. its a slow proccess but its slowly getting better